Cranky got together with www.inthe603.com to wrap their vehicle in NH themed graphics to showcase their new website all over New Hampshire!  Mike Manetta, Director of Marketing was pleased with the wrap from start to finish!  We love working with Michael and can’t wait for the next project.

They chose a car wrap as an ideal medium to showcase the brand around the state as a mobile billboard driving people to the site to purchase apparel and educate themselves on all NH has to offer.

Call 888.99 CRANKY (27265) to receive a free quote on your next car wrap project.

Request A Free Quote

Chicago, IL – Every shopkeeper and merchant’s primary objective is to sell merchandise. When the giant nineteenth century dry goods establishments like Marshall Field & Co. shifted their business from wholesale to retail the visual display of goods became necessary to attract the retail customer. The store windows no longer simply allowed natural light to shine in the building or act as storage space for stock; they became important venues to attractively display the store’s merchandise. Gradually, the design aesthetic used in window displays moved indoors and became part of the overall interior store design, eventually displacing the importance windows altogether in suburban malls.

Request A Free Quote

Museums and department stores in America have a shared history of displaying their products, both having come of age in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Like world’s fairs, department stores and museums crowded everything together on shelves or in display cases. Today displays in museums are referred to as exhibitions, while displays in stores are referred to as “Visual Merchandising. Essentially, visual merchandising is the selling of a store’s goods through visual means, incorporating advertising, and window displays, and interior sales floor design and display. Throughout the twentieth century, well-known artists such as Salvador Dalí and Andy Warhol created window displays, while other artists who are lesser known were commissioned to design unique objects specifically for visual merchandising purposes.

1. Sell by showing and promoting the product.

2. Create an emotional connect between the viewer and the display.

3. Encourage the shopper to enter the store.

4. Get the customer to pause and “shop” the selling floor.

5. Establish, promote, and enhance the store’s visual image.

6. Entertain customers and enhance their shopping experience.

7. Introduce and explain new products.

Drawing the attention of the customer to enable him to take purchase decision within shortest possible time, and thus augmenting the selling process.

Request A Free Quote

773.531.1979

Particularly during these tough economic times, savvy car dealers are looking for fresh strategies to generate new customers and re-engage previous ones. Although traditional marketing methods have their place, for a car dealer to succeed these days you may need outside-the-box and audaciously creative ideas. And once those ideas turn into eye-catching and captivating images on your cars, well, that’s when the magic begins.

Not only does vehicle wrap advertising use a graphic campaign that will turn heads, using vehicle wraps will definitely work within your budget. Installation can happen on-site at the dealership. From the customer’s perspective, it’s a completely in-store operation. That way, your relationship with the customer is enhanced

Here’s a few ideas. For one, utilize the power of vehicle wraps. It’s by far today’s most effective form of advertising. The average views of a mobile advertisement in the form of a vehicle wrap is about 30,000 to 70,000 views per day. You can target neighborhoods and specific high-population areas you want to penetrate; simply drive around or park in a noticeable place.

Now, what about in the showroom? You can transform your auto showroom into a dynamic, multi-faceted promotional experience. You can use floor and table decals or wall graphics to promote a new line of vehicles. Celebrate the history of your dealership or community by transforming historical photographs into a beautiful wall muralto. You can even slip in mentions of special financing options or deals by using urinal or bathroom stall graphics. If you own a dealership in a city that is a Capital Vehicle Wraps can be an invaluable asset in such a seminal high-population area.

How about a fleet vehicle program? This is a great promotional tool to add to your sales’ force tool box. As an accessory item, vehicle wraps can be included in your customer’s financing plan. 

Let Cranky Creative be the go-to graphic resource for all of your Car Dealer Marketing needs. Rest assured that we’ll treat your customers with the highest level of expertise, creativity and professionalism. Cranky Creative offer a generous financing plan, special discounts and even a way for you to partner with them to generate revenue. Of course, we stand behind our work and provide a free 5-year warranty on our wraps.

It is no secret that Vehicle Wrap Advertising is the most effective form of marketing available to most companies. With complete mobile control of your ad, you can effectively focus on specific areas at certain hours of the day when the amount of potential observers in a place is peaked.

1. Place Your Advertisement Strategically

You are a mobile billboard. Let’s be realistic, you should desire maximum exposure. When you aren’t going around in high-population areas, you should be placed in a highly visibly accessible area. This is the real power of Surface Branding. Depending on the type of people you are trying to focus on, you can pick where you should place your vehicle and at what hours to park. Have a daycare? Why not park in the grocery store in the middle of high traffic hours? When Moms are picking up dinner, they’ll see your car and pick up a business card. Scope out the place for a while to see the demographics of who go to the location, and at what times the place is at peak operation. Map out these areas in terms of days of the week. Unfortunately, you’ll have to have a second person to pick you up and drop you off – which may feel inconvenient… however, how much business is your wrap creating being parked in your driveway, or hidden?

2. Events

Seek out events in your area that draw people that fit your target demographic. Get there well before the event begins and place your vehicle in a prominent spot. You can also use your vehicle as a centerpiece at tradeshows in your section. Nothing creates attention like a giant 3D billboard of your brand right in the middle of your booth. If your business is positioned in a Capital, Wraps can be a hugely valuable tool for your advertising efforts. Bring it up one more notch… have the vehicle wrap put on during the tradeshow!

3. Where’s Waldo Marketing Campaigns

Start a campaign that if your vehicle is spotted, and they call to report the location, then they get something (entered into a drawing to win $1,000). Put this on your website, radio, television, magazine, and social media campaigns.

4. Product Sampling

After you scope out the locations above, and if your business is product based, why not schedule a product sampling out of the back of your vehicle. You will need to check on the rules and regulations to see if you will need a permit to do this.

5. Changeable Offers

When having your vehicle designed, leave a section of the wrap changeable. So every few months you can integrate an offer onto your car as a call to action. Or if you are a realtor, showcase a house that is on the market.

Perhaps one of the bigger challenges facing many small businesses these days is simply getting noticed. While it would be nice to rely on one’s reputation to drive customer traffic, sometimes that is just not enough. Every business is not only competing with other businesses in their market or on their street for attention, but also competing to be heard amid the high volume of clutter and noise when it comes to marketing.

Simply put, today’s consumer is bombarded with ads and marketing messages. So, how does anyone get noticed? 
One fun and cost-effective way to get noticed is with vehicle wraps. The cost per impression for a vehicle wrap is significantly lower than advertising on billboards and is a medium that is eye-catching and captivating enough to break through the desensitizing “white noise” effect that comes with much of today’s traditional media messaging.

What is A Vehicle Wrap?

Vehicle wrapping is the application of an advertising message of both text and images on a car or truck (or boat or bus, for that matter). The process involves a graphic designer creating an advertising message with the customer’s input and then having the message printed out on high quality vinyl. 

The vinyl is then applied, or wrapped, on the vehicle. Depending on the quality of the vinyl and installation, the wrap should still be looking good for 5 years or longer. Many small businesses are realizing the perks of a professionally designed billboard cruising the streets where they most want to attract attention for several years.  

Costs for vehicle wraps vary. Of course, higher quality costs more than lower quality. But, particularly if someone is approaching a vehicle wrap as a long-term marketing strategy and investment, it makes sense to pay a slightly higher cost to insure the wrap does not fade or get damaged easily. Vehicles can be partially wrapped or fully wrapped, including side and back windows, with specially made see-through perforated material.

The cost to have a vehicle fully wrapped, including design and installation range from $2000 to $5000 depending on the size and make of the vehicle. A typical passenger vehicle with quality vinyl and professional installation runs about $4000. Some vehicle wrap companies offer financing plans.

With a vehicle wrap, design is the key. It is important to avoid a look that’s too “busy” since the audience the vehicle attracts will be a moving target, in most cases. Important information, e.g. company name, website, etc., should be clear and prominent.

Vehicle wraps may not be the right solution for every business, but, for those that need a little extra boost to get noticed and have a limited advertising budget, it certainly should be considered.

You can get your FREE Vehicle Wrap Marketing Kit from Cranky Creative right now! Learn valuable information about vehicle wraps and whether or not using wraps is the right decision for your business.

The economic downturn might be “officially” over, but several minor and large firms are nevertheless pinching pennies when it comes to advertising. For the duration of the throes of the Great Depression, businesses were forced to embrace the exercise of cautiously considering the cost/benefit of every single penny issued to advertising and marketing much more than they ever would. It is little chance that vehicle wraps started out producing a massive splash in such a similar time.

The economic outlook may be trending upwards finally, but Vehicle Wraps will carry on to be a valuable expense for many intelligent marketing pros. Vehicle Wrap Marketing might be the new kid on the block in the advertising community, but it appears like they are here to stay.

First, what specifically is a vehicle wrap? Basically explained, vehicle wraps are digitally printed vinyl graphics with protective laminate placed on automobiles (buses, boats, cargo trucks, cars, etc.) for the goal of advertising, however many people decide to wrap their car simply to jazz it up somewhat.

A lot of major businesses, like McDonald’s, have leaped on this promotional bandwagon. Do not be surprised to see a Mini Cooper wrapped with a McCaffe drink and a McMuffin riding around in the neighborhood where you live… graphics so realistic you are going to be enticed to reach out and have a bite.

Below are 5 good reasons to consider vehicle wraps.

1. Vehicle wraps are cost-efficient.

A regular mid-sized sedan can be totally wrapped for close to $4,000. Do the math. When you plan on preserving the automobile for 5 years, that comes out to below $67 for each month. Now, do a comparison of that to the airwaves, billboards, television, magazines, or newspapers marketing.

2. Vehicle Wrap Advertising is an incredibly focused form of marketing.

Who establishes exactly where to drive the automobile? The owner of the vehicle, obviously. This offers you remarkable strategic mobility. Not receiving the results you really want stylin’ around in Neighborhood A? Consider parking the automobile for a week at the fast paced intersection of Neighborhood B for a while. Needless to say, a fixed billboard along the interstate will not permit that type of nimble trial and error strategizing as the billboard on wheels will.

3. Car Wraps add presence and acknowledgement. 

Based on the Transportation Advertising Council (a division of the Outdoor Advertising Association of America), vehicle wrap marketing creates approximately 30,000 – 70,000 daily vehicle impressions. Not only do a lot of people observe the car, a good deal of people get notice of the automobile. 

4. Vehicle wraps boost your firm as revolutionary and cutting-edge.

In contrast to a quarter-page ad in the community Sunday newspaper might appear staid and conventional, a fun automobile with engaging pictures and your business logo design zipping around town may simply help reinforce your appearance as refreshing, impressive, modern, distinct, intriguing, vibrant, and striking… which, psychologically, may very well be the differentiation between Mr. Potential Customer selecting you over Mr. Boring Sunday Paper Guy.

5. Vehicle wraps provide you an experienced image

We’re used to visiting more savvy large corporations (as in the above-mentioned McDonald’s) out front and ahead of the curve when it comes to advertising and marketing trends. Vehicle wraps can add reliability, add stature and help elevate and place you into that same category.

Make sure you check out our Vehicle Wrap Marketing Kit for valuable knowledge on what vehicle wraps can do for your business or brand!

I love the fact that while the economy has grown negligible in the past year, the recession miraculously ended last year with nobody to notice.  Many small business are facing the revenue/spending challenge as this interesting economic times continues.  Many of the owners I have spoken with are still facing the similar questions as they have for the past 2 years, how much to spend, and what to spend it on.  These questions effect every aspect of the business and especially buying advertisements and marketing efforts. 

Every business is competing with other businesses within their industry and alternative options that may be outside the industry.  Grabbing the attention of your perspective clients when they are thinking about your goods or services is critical to get them to step into your shop or call your company.  More importantly to simply competing with your rivals, you are also competing to simply be heard above the advertising noise we are so use to seeing everyday.

Consumers today are under a constant barrage of marketing and advertisement messages.  So how does the business owner decide what money to spend and how to spend it to get heard by their perspective clients when they are interested in their products?

In a sea of advertising options, non stand out more so for reach and effectiveness that vehicle wraps.  Most consumers I speak with have Tivo to avoid tv ads, satellite radio doesn’t have ads, and who picks up a yellow pages any more.  Vehicle wraps have a measurable higher impression rate and significantly lower advertising cost than other forms of advertising including billboards.  It is a vibrant, attention-grabbing medium that breaks through to reach your customers.

What is a Vehicle Wrap?

Vehicle graphics have been around since the time of sign painters, but a full vehicle wrap takes a message of images and graphics and completely covers the vehicle in the message.  The process creates a moving billboard that can be computer designed and installed onto any vehicles from cars, trucks, boats, minivans, cargo vans, and even box trucks.

Once the design is approved by our client, the graphics are digitally printed onto conformable vinyl and laminated to insure quality and protect the design.  Then the vinyl is applied onto the vehicle.  Ours have a life span on 3-5 years and unlike billboards you only have to pay once for the graphic and it will last.   This is the easiest way for many small sized businesses to get a professional mobile billboard grabbing attention in their communities or cities.

The other reason many small businesses are doing vehicle wraps is they are affordable, a full vehicle wrap will typically run between $2000 and $5000 depending on the type of car, truck or van and the design requirements.  Financing is available for vehicle wraps, typically through a third party.

While vehicle graphics may not be the right solution for every business, but for those that see the benefit of a vehicle wrap as a ongoing form of advertising that will last for years this may be within your budget.  If you need an effective way to promote your company, increase your visibility in your area, a vehicle wrap or graphics package can assist you. Having your vehicle wrapped with your brand, logo, and contact information, ensures that wherever you drive, people will see. You will garner potential customers impressions for your company and products or services. Increase your exposure in your community with a corporate vehicle wrap and drive up your sales.

You can download Cranky’s FREE Vehicle Wrap Marketing Kit. See how a Cranky vehicle wrap will benefit your company.

Or call 877-775-WRAP for a quote

Guide to Maximizing Event Sponsorship Revenue

How to maximize your sponsorship revenue in 2010 with these quick and easy tips

Did you know that you can offer your sponsors advertising on any surface at an event venue to maximize their visibility and branding at your event?  Graphics material that is removable and non-damaging is being used by cutting-edge event planners to satisfy their sponsors insatiable desires to be recognized at their events.

If you haven’t integrated alternative spaces into your sponsorship package, then you are missing out on thousands of dollars of sponsorship revenue. 

Some advertising surfaces to offer to maximize sponsor visibility at events are:

• Sponsor wall murals (drywall, concrete, brick, marble, or wood)
• Elevator wraps (full door graphics, or entire inside)
• Porta-John Billboards (for outdoor events)
• Window murals (glass walkways overhanging streets, main windows) 
• Bathroom stalls (doors, back walls, or entire stall sets)
• Bathroom Mirror Decals
• Doors (perfect for ribbon cuttings)
• Carpet Decals/walkways
• Column Wraps
• Staircase graphics
• Escalator Hand Rails
• Ceiling Banners
• Building wraps and banners (great for parking garages for event promotion)
• Bus and vehicle wraps and graphics

How to integrate these creative advertising surfaces into your sponsorship package is easy.

1. Visit the event venue and define the spaces you want to sell for sponsorship, based on the list above
2. Take pictures of the spaces
3. Take basic measurements of the spaces
4. Send an email to wraphappy@crankycreative.com with the pictures, measurements, and quantities to get a production, installation, and removal quote for the spaces
5. Price new spaces accordingly and integrate into currently existing sponsorship packages

Generally the larger spaces are assigned to the sponsors who are the highlighted sponsors.  The smaller spaces that have less foot traffic during the event are given to the supporting sponsors at the event.

Or call Cranky Creative and we can do a site visit for you and work directly with the venue.  

877-775-WRAP

What are the critical factors to consider when choosing which company to use when purchasing a vehicle wrap? What you will learn in the following white paper is all of the elements that constitute a quality wrap. You will learn the right questions to ask, what you should be provided, and the education you will need to feel empowered when you call and get a quo

1. Pro-Active Customer Service: Are they interested in understanding your business?

Does the customer service person ask questions about your business, your target demographics, your goals for the wrap, and why you are looking at wrapping your vehicle as a marketing strategy? If you have to ask all of the questions, that is representative of what the entire process will be like… pulling teeth for information. Make sure the company is customer focused and willing to initiate communication from the start and truly be passionate about the success of your business! 

2. Warranty

Does the company offer a manufacturer-backed warranty? Standard vehicle wrap warranties range from 3-5 years based upon where you are located.

3. Step-by-Step Process

There is a wide range of companies offering vehicle wrap services. Many are small sign shops that may not have the proper systems in place to create a hassle-free customer experience from design to installation that you need. Others are so large that you may feel like a number. To ensure that you have found a company that fits your needs, here are some signals to look for to evaluate their systems:

Ask if a customer service person will be assigned to your account to serve your needs throughout the entire proces

1. Do they return your initial call promptly?
2. Can they easily take you through the process of getting a vehicle wrap completed without hesitation? Can they explain the design process? Color proofing? Printing? Installation?
3. Do they provide professional materials in a nicely formatted email to follow-up after the initial call?
4. Do they have a project management software in place to track orders?

4. Design Expertise

Is the design process formalized? Is there a creative consultation included in the quote where a customer service person takes the time to evaluate your current marketing tactics, goals and expectations for your wrap, and to understand your brand which you have worked so hard to perfect? Do they have professional designers that will match your design style? Do you like the designs they have showcased on their website?

5. Certification

 Are they certified 3M installers? The final phase of the vehicle wrapping process is installation. This is the most critical phase that if done improperly can not only ruin the quality of the wrap, but also cause a shortening of the wraps’ lifespan.

Does the company have a clean and professional brand image? If they haven’t taken the time to create a professional brand for themselves, they will not take the time for your company either. Do they have testimonials and references they can send you to verify their work?

7. Materials and Production Questions

• Do they use 3M or Oracal materials? These are the highest quality materials in the market.
• Do they laminate the perforated window vinyl? Not to laminate window perf is one common way to cut costs. If you get a really low quote, this is one way they may be cutting corners.
• Do they use film or liquid laminate? Liquid laminate does not provide the protection that a film laminate provides. Typically a vehicle wrap with liquid laminate will only last about a year before fading and cracking, so beware!

8. Coverage Area

Do they provide nationwide installation services in all 48 US States?

9. Marketing and Advertising Knowledge

It is important to find a specialist in the product you are purchasing, however, you also want to feel like they have a broad knowledge of what is happening in the industry as a whole. Make sure that the company understands how the unique media of vehicle wrapping fits into an overall marketing strategy for your company.

10. BBB Score

Visit www.bbb.com and look up the company you are considering. If they have complaints against them, take note. A score of B+ or higher is recommended.

Be sure to check out Cranky Creative’s Vehicle Wrap Marketing Kit to find out even more about how wrap advertising can grow your business.

Have you ever considered using your vehicle as a way to advertise your business?  If so, you probably have heard of car decal, vehicle decal, car wrap, and vehicle wrap. How do you choose the right option for you?  Whether you have a truck, SUV, Scion, trailer, van or Mini Cooper you have many options for using your vehicle for effectively advertising your business.

Vinyl Car Wrap vs. Car Decal

A car wrap uses similar vinyl material to a car decal, only a car decal material does not require material that can cover the complex curves of an entire car. Car decals typically cover a very small area on the car, similar to a car magnet. Whereas with a wrap, you can cover any part of the vehicle, including bumpers, the hood, and other curved areas.  Car wrap material has a grey backed adhesive that has air egress channels that allow for air bubbles to be immediately smoothed out creating a sheer painted look to the car wrap – especially when a gloss finish is chosen. The vinyl car wrap material can be heated around the bumpers and complex curves of the vehicle to cover the entire surface area.  Your clients will never know it’s not a paint job.  You will though, when you go to re-sell the vehicle and all you have to do is have the wrap removed to reveal the manufacturer’s paint job underneath, preserving the resale value of the car.

A vinyl car decal or magnet will not last as long as a vinyl car wrap for a few reasons:

1) Magnets can fly off the car, fade, or be stolen

2) The decals are typically printed on a cheap vinyl material that lasts up to one year to keep costs down

And of course the major difference is in the perception of your brand… are you the leader, or are you just another small, one-person business?

A few options:

Vinyl Car Wrap

Vs. Partial Vinyl Car Wrap

Vs. Car Decal

The vinyl car wrap looks like a professional business that can be relied upon, that will be there in a few years in case you need them.  The image this DJ is projecting showcases the quality of his work.  If he cares this much about his brand, then he puts that much care and attention into everything he/she does. If you have confidence in your business, a vinyl car wrap is the best way of projecting this confidence out to your clients.  Show them how professional you are and what you can do for them.  Tell them you are here to stay. Nobody looks at car decals or magnets anymore. They are like bumper stickers. Nobody cares. They think the person driving the car is a small one-person shop that is trying to make money on the side.  Don’t be mistaken for that!  Put your business up a notch by crafting your image professionally with a creative car wrap.

The price difference between a decal and a vinyl wrap is definitely there. A pair of car decals are probably in the range of $120 vs. a wrap which run from $2500 – $3500 depending on the make, model and year of the car. If you have invested in other areas of your company, don’t skimp on one of the most public images of your business – your car, that is driving around in front of your customers every day. A vehicle wrap lasts for 5 years, which amortizes down to about $55/month in advertising costs, the most cost effective form of advertising available today to get in front of 30,000 – 70,000 people daily. Where else could you spend $.15 per 1,000 views? Nowhere.

Car wrap advertising creates a client experience, turns heads, brings eyeballs to your brand.  It sells you by simply being there while you drive.  All you need is a creative vehicle design, a car, and a drive to be the most recalled brand in your market.  When a potential customer sees your vinyl car wrap, they should take away three things within the first 3 seconds of viewing:

1) What you do

2) Visual imagery of the results of what you do

3) Contact information/Call to action takeaway

Devil is in the Design 

A well-designed partial wrap on a solid base color vehicle can be just as effective as a full vinyl car wrap if designed properly to integrate with the base color of the vehicle.  This only truly works on black vehicles because all other colors are very difficult to match through digital printing.  See the vehicle wrap for O2 fitness below for an example of a well-designed partial vehicle wrap:

These partial graphics were designed properly to fit the vehicle’s curves and flowed well with the dynamic photos.  The logo and information is cut vinyl decals to supplement the partial wrap in the back. This vehicle is a three-quarter wrapped vehicle.  This designed worked well for the client because of the quality of the photographs, they had a clear idea of what they wanted to communicate.  If your brand has these traits, and you own a black vehicle, please explore the potential of partial coverage vehicle wraps.

Targeted Parking

Think about it. Want to target your potential clients?  Look up events where your ideal demographic goes, and park in front of the event, and put your information in a holder attached to the car. Targeting women with children?  Park at a childcare facility. Targeting people who love soccer? Park at soccer tournaments. Construction companies? Park at Home Depot. You see where I am going with this?

Create your own parade for your brand, everywhere you go.  It’s a rolling billboard telling the world you are the best in class in your business.

With what other form of media can you drive up to your customer?

Bottom Line:

You could be creating brand confidence by putting a full-coverage vinyl car wrap on your vehicle converting it into a billboard on wheels.

Vinyl car wrap advertising boosts name recognition 15 times greater than any other form of advertising.

Don’t forget to check out Cranky Creative’s Vehicle Wrap Marketing Kit! Learn why a car wrap can be a powerful investment for your business, as well as tips for figuring out what type of advertising is suitable for you.